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<title>On the Steps of the Palace by The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557699">On the Steps of the Palace</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death/pseuds/The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death'>The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Platonic Moxiety, Prinxiety is minor but definitely there, and suppressing his emotions whilst adopting everyone around him, just Patton being a dork as usual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:08:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death/pseuds/The_Bringer_of_Inescapable_Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgil’s thoughts as he works up the courage to share his name. A songfic because I was listening to Into the Woods and have no self control.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>On the Steps of the Palace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Knowing this time I'd run from them<br/>They spread pitch on the stairs<br/>And I'm caught unawares<br/>Well, it means that they care<br/>~<br/>In Virgil’s case, the metaphorical pitch on the stairs was how he was growing to see the others as friends. His whole life, he has taught himself to stay separate. Then he didn’t have to make tough decisions.<br/>~<br/>This is more than just malice<br/>Better stop and take stock<br/>While you're standing here stuck<br/>On the steps of the palace<br/>~<br/>Well, that life plan was clearly a failure. <br/>~<br/>All right, what do you want?<br/>Have to make a decision<br/>~<br/>When Virgil first met Patton, he hadn’t planned on friendship. Patton has been sort of neutral, a person who he could trust not to hate him but not much else. He still wasn't entirely sure that the others truly believed that he was only there to help, and that hurt a bit, but Patton had defended him. Now that Patton had pretty much adopted him, Virgil couldn’t just abandon him.<br/>~<br/>Why not stay and be caught<br/>Should I give that a thought<br/>What would be their response?<br/>~<br/>Not after how much of an attempt Patton had made to be his friend. But of course, there were other factors.<br/>~<br/>But then what if he knew<br/>Who I am when I know<br/>That I'm not what he thinks<br/>That he wants<br/>But what if I am<br/>What a Prince would envision?<br/>~<br/>Other factors like Roman. <br/>Of course, it’s not like he would ever really like him, not the way that Virgil wished he would. Princey was the epitome of a Light Side. <br/>Someone like him would never even see a former dark side as a potential friend, much less… more. Although, Roman didn’t know he used to be a dark side, but it's not like he could hide it forever.<br/>~<br/>But then how can you know<br/>Who you are till you know<br/>What you want, which I don't<br/>So then which do you pick<br/>~<br/>With the dark sides, you didn’t have friends. Just allies. The other Dark Sides seemed perfectly fine with this, but Virgil craved more. He didn’t just want someone who he could trust. He wanted someone he could care for.<br/>~<br/>Where you're safe, out of sight<br/>And yourself, but where everything's wrong<br/>~ <br/>With the Dark Sides, he fit in. He was ignored there, but at least he wasn’t mocked. That thought caused his heart to twist.<br/>~<br/>Or where everything's right<br/>But you know that you'll never belong<br/>~<br/>Because he knew that only Patton truly accepted him as more than the antagonist.<br/>~<br/>And whichever you pick<br/>Do it quick<br/>'Cause you're starting to stick<br/>To the steps of the palace<br/>~<br/>So he was forced to choose. He couldn’t duck out again, that would only hurt Thomas. He knew his job was necessary.  <br/>~<br/>It's my first big decision<br/>The choice isn't easy to make<br/>To arrive at a ball<br/>Is exciting and all<br/>Once you're there, though, it's scary<br/>~<br/>That left him with two choices: <br/>Stay here, stay with the Light Sides and have one true friend and just pray that he never found out about Virgil’s past<br/>Go back and hope they'd take him back.<br/>~<br/>And it's fun to deceive<br/>When you know you can leave<br/>But you have to be wary<br/>There's a lot that's at stake<br/>But you've stalled long enough<br/>'Cause you're still standing stuck<br/>In the stuff on the steps<br/>~<br/>And Virgil was sick of being the bad guy.<br/>~<br/>Better run along home<br/>And avoid the collision<br/>Though at home they don't care<br/>I'll be better of there<br/>Where there's nothing to choose<br/>So there's nothing to lose<br/>So I'll pry up my shoes<br/>~<br/>But it seemed that no one would ever see him as anything else.<br/>~<br/>Wait no, thinking it through<br/>Things don't have to collide!<br/>I know what my decision is<br/>Which is not to decide.”<br/>I'll just leave him a clue<br/>For example, a shoe<br/>~<br/>It was the most obvious change that happened when he left. No longer was he Phobos, Paranoia. He was Virgil, Anxiety. And he wanted it to stay that way. Maybe, just maybe if he told them his name, they might accept him, even just a little. It was a risk, but it might pay off. If he left them a metaphorical glass slipper, a clue that he trusted them, maybe they would start to trust him too.<br/>~<br/>And then see what he'll do<br/>Now it's them and not you<br/>Who is stuck with a shoe<br/>~<br/>“Wait! Oh god, I’m actually considering it.”<br/>“What?”<br/>“You’ve kinda made me want to open up to you. But big surprise, I’m really anxious about it.”<br/>“Anxious! Like your name!”<br/>“Yep. That was… uh… that was… you’re great Patton. But actually, um… on the subject of my name…”<br/>“Shut up.”<br/>“Oh, that’s okay. No pressure. If you don’t want to-“<br/>Virgil felt his heart twist painfully again. This was a mistake. He never should have spoken. He should just follow Logan’s advice and-<br/>“Logan! Shut your ever flapping gobtalker.”<br/>A quick glance at Patton resided a little bit of his courage. If for no one else, he could do this for Patton and Thomas.<br/>“Ugh, why did we have to have a heartfelt moment?”<br/>“It’s totally fine, this is a very accepting environment! But I have to tell you I’ve been theorizing for a very long time and if it’s not exactly the name that I think it is- I will lose it.”<br/>What if Patton’s disappointed? What if he’s mad at me?<br/>“Promise you won’t laugh though?”<br/>“Of course not!”<br/>Thomas could speak for himself, but not for the others. What if they laughed? What if they thought his name was ridiculous? Why did he put himself in this situation in the first place? It was too late to back out now!<br/>“My...name is…”<br/>He needed to stop overthinking.<br/>“MynameisVirgil! It’s like a band-aid, you just gotta rip it off.”<br/>~<br/>And I've learned something, too<br/>Something I never knew<br/>On the steps of the palace</p>
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